North Carolina emissions testing rules

Session Law 2023-134 removes 18 counties and Session Law 2026-41, passed July 7, 2026, removes Mecklenburg County. Neither change takes effect until the EPA approves it and DEQ and DMV finalize it.

“Section 12.13.(b) of Session Law (S.L.) 2026-41 (Senate Bill 257) of the 2026 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law July 7, 2026, will also remove Mecklenburg County from the program.”

• “Section 12.7 of Session Law (S.L.) 2023-134 (House Bill 259) of the 2023 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law October 3, 2023, will remove 18 counties from the I&M program.”
• “The changes are not effective until approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and finalized by DEQ and the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).”

On May 8, 2026 the EPA proposed to approve the state's revised plan; if it finalizes approval, the DMV will make the change within 15 days of the EPA's final action.

“On May 8, 2026, EPA proposed to approve North Carolina’s revised SIP and accepted public comments for 30 days.”

• “If EPA finalizes approval, within 15 days of EPA publishing its final action, the DMV will implement the program change”

Vehicles registered in 19 counties need the OBD emissions inspection with their annual safety inspection: Alamance, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Randolph, Rowan, Union and Wake.

“motor vehicles registered in 19 North Carolina counties in the table below must undergo an on-board diagnostic emissions inspection as part of requirements to keep air quality standards in compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.”

• “Alamance”
• “Buncombe”
• “Cabarrus”
• “Cumberland”
• “Davidson”
• “Durham”
• “Forsyth”
• “Franklin”
• “Gaston”
• “Guilford”
• “Iredell”
• “Johnston”
• “Lincoln”
• “Mecklenburg”
• “New Hanover”
• “Randolph”
• “Rowan”
• “Union”
• “Wake”

The three-year exemption needs BOTH conditions: the vehicle is within the three most recent model years AND has fewer than 70,000 miles on the odometer. A vehicle that reaches 70,000 miles inside those three model years gets the emissions inspection.

“The law exempts from emission testing, vehicles that are registered in or sold in North Carolina if they are within the three most recent model years and have less than 70,000 miles on the odometer.”

• “The vehicle would receive an emissions/safety inspection because a vehicle must have less than 70,000 miles on the odometer to be exempt from the emissions portion of the state inspection.”

The DMV also lists as exempt from the emissions inspection: vehicles 20 or more years old, diesel vehicles, vehicles registered as farm vehicles and antique vehicles (antique plates exempt a vehicle from both the safety and emissions inspections).

“Vehicles are exempt from emissions inspections under the following conditions:”

• “Vehicle is 20 years old or older”
• “Diesel-operated”
• “Registered as a farm vehicle”
• “Antique vehicles”
• “Those vehicles with an antique automobile license plate are exempt from both annual safety and emissions inspections”

Every county keeps the annual safety inspection, even after the emissions changes.

“Note : All counties will still require the annual safety inspection.”

A vehicle that passes safety but fails the OBD analysis after at least $200 of documented repairs can get a waiver from the State Highway Patrol.

“It has documented repairs costing at least the $200 waiver amount to correct the cause of the failure.”